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Our View: City's on right track in tackling eyesores

Times Editorial Board
1 a.m. CDT July 1, 2014

Rental status report highlights many changes since 2006; much more can be done in St. Cloud.

A house on the corner of 14th Avenue South has failed a number of inspections, so the St. Cloud City Council voted last month to declare the home a hazard. Improving problem properties like this are the target of several new measures involving housing in core neighborhoods.(Photo: William Camargo, wcamargo@stcloudtimes.com)

Kudos to the city of St. Cloud for working to take a more aggressive approach in dealing with problem properties, especially in core neighborhoods.

As recent Times news reports have noted, city staff and elected leaders are examining several additional measures aimed at identifying and improving residences that may be unsightly, unsafe or both.

That's a welcome strategy not just for older parts of St. Cloud, but for all. Making sure a site — be it residential, commercial or mixed-use — meets city codes for appearance, health and safety is a necessity in retaining and increasing property values. Not to mention it's the right thing to do for neighbors.

A March status report on rental housing and code enforcement from St. Cloud Community Development Director Matt Glaesman and Health Director Lisa Schreifels outlined some of those ideas. Glaesman said Monday many are on track to take effect by next budget year. Examples include:

• IT upgrades: The city is looking at software that allows reporting of potential property violations by citizens as well as software that allows staff across department lines and citizens to track city responses.

• GIS mobile inspection reporting: The idea is to develop an inspection and reporting tool that city staffers outside the health department could be trained to use. With 2,601 rental properties in the city providing more than 14,000 rental units, this makes sense. The same can be said for adding staff within the health department and increasing rental license fees to cover that cost.

• Target challenging properties: City staff compiled a list of the 50 most challenging properties from a housing condition and public safety perspective. They now want to use health and inspections, police, planning and legal departments to force respective owners to make improvements.

• Nuisance sweeps: The Fire Department and Health and Inspections Department are resuming sweeps of neighborhoods for nuisance violations.

• Rental density limits: The city is monitoring Winona's rental density restrictions ordinance. The ordinance limiting density of rental housing by block was recently upheld by the court of appeals.

While density limits can be troubling, the other measures are reasonable steps to take, especially if they are applied evenly citywide.